King Arthur on Film New Essays on Arthurian Cinema (review)

Book Reviews | Regular Feature passengers of his train in a more positive mood—including a kissing scene—and unaware of their destination. While jazz heaven may indicate total control over life and fail to account for its tragedies, life does not have to be a garbage dump either. This self-reflective film ends with the director walking out alone from the screening room, with a blank screen in the background upon which, contends Nichols, Bates will continue to have the opportunity to present his vision of life, art, and love. Thus, Nichols concludes Allen is fundamentally an artist who endorses a positive moral vision of the universe. Those who embrace Allen's films will find solace in this interpretation. However, Nichols' efforts to place a positive spin on Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), in which an ophthalmologist appears to get away with murder, is less convincing. And Allen's two most recent pictures, Deconstructing Harry and Celebrity, seem darker and more pessimistic than the cinema discussed by Nichols. Also, critics will complain that Nichols does not include any explanation for selecting the films under discussion. For example, Manhattan is not considered, and one cannot help but wonder whether the screenplay's theme of a romance between a younger woman and an older man is too autobiographical for the argument which Nichols seeks to make. In addition, the text makes several references to Hannah and Her Sisters, which a more detailed chapter might clarify. Nichols fails to develop any historical context for the movies under discussion, nor does she consider any of the feminist film criticism leveled at Allen and his cinema. In conclusion, Allen's critics—and those looking for gossip —will be disappointed by this study; however, serious fans of Allen's art, will treasure the volume. Nichols includes a detailed plot synopsis for each of the dozen films in the study. These descriptions will allow Allen's admirers to fondly recall why they are so drawn to his movies and vindication of life; perhaps choosing to visit their local video store in search of rekindling the moral vision inherent in such artistic works as Annie Hall (1977), Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), and Bullets Over Broadway (1994). Ron Briley Sandia Preparatory School Snrbrile@nedcomm.nm.org Kevin J. Harty. King Arthur on Film !Hew Essays on Arthurian Cinema. McFarland, 1999. 287 pages; $39.95. Made for the Movies The images of King Arthur and his colorful cohorts are readily identifiable to anyone even moderately attuned to American popular culture: the nobility of Arthur and his knights; the betrayal of Lancelot; the quest for the Grail; the mystery of Merlin and the duplicity of Morgan Le Fay. Despite their original source in arcane legend, movies aboutArthur and his exploits make for the stuff craved by American audiences, encompassing violence , grisly combat, betrayal, honor, sex and redemption. King Arthur, it would seem, was made for the movies, a fact most evident in the wide variety of films that have been made about Arthur and the legends that surround him. The collection of essays published in King Arthur on Film were written in large part to help make some sense of the vast body of work that has been produced about Arthur and his exploits. As Kevin Harty's detailed introductory chapter makes clear, the legends of King Arthur and Camelot have been an enduring aspect of popular cinema and are almost synonymous with both the history offilm and popular culture. As portrayed in film, King Arthur has come in many forms and the Camelot legend has been told many times from many different perspectives. Thus, the essays in King Arthur on Film makes some sense of the diverse cinematic and visual offerings about Arthurian legend. The essays found in the book cover a wide variety of topics ranging from Arthurian language and gender issues, to studies of Arthurian characters such as Merlin and Morgan Le Fay. A particularly interesting chapter by Michael N. Salda is called "What's Up, Duke?" and it focuses on how Arthurian legend has been depicted in cartoons and is tailored to appeal to children. Further, several chapters in the book are detailed individual treatments of selected...